Sakura Park by Riverside Drive and 122nd Street is small hilltop green space just on the south edge of the West Harlem border that has a lot of history represented by the cherry orchard planted within. Most might be familiar with the hundreds of cherry trees planted in Washington D.C. that were donated by the country of Japan about a century ago but a lesser known fact is that part of the gift also made its way uptown. Another notable donation to the park may also be found in the stone tōrō lantern which is traditionally used to illuminate Japanese gardens. It might not be as grand as some of the botanical gardens in the city but the charm here is in the cultural history. At this time last year, the weather was almost summer-like and the blossoms had fully bloomed:
LINK
Might I recommend "Sakura Park," a wonderful book of poems by my old friend Rachel Wetzsteon, a longtime resident of the neighborhood (and the daughter of the wonderful longtime Village Voice writer Ross Wetzsteon), who took her own life in 2009. It's available from Persea Books (2006), Amazon, abebooks, etc.
ReplyDelete